Cheap Date

Whole cheese pizza at Sam's Club - $8.00
32 oz. drink to share - $0.74
Coffee & donuts at Krispy Kreme - $4.00
Time with my husband - priceless!

And we didn't spend much at Sam's either, so that was good. We laughed ourselves silly at Krispy Kreme when the conveyor belt got rather gummed up and donuts were being smushed into a big gummy mess. Oh well, guess you had to be there!

Top 25 Book List

I've never been one easily influenced by the popular opinion; just because a book or movie is rated highly doesn't necessarily mean it's really all that great. Cindy Swanson over at Notes in the Key of Life challenged me to recall and list my all-time favorite books: (I only listed 21 but several are series so it evens out!) Take some time to come up with your own list to share - post it in my comments section or give me a link to your blog so I can check it out!

The Story of My Life - Helen Keller - most amazing life story I ever read.
Secret of the Rose series - Michael Phillips
Screwtape letters - C.S. Lewis
Anne of Green Gables series - L.M. Montgomery
Circle of Quiet - Madeleine L'Engle (Ms. L'Engle is my current favorite
author - how did I not read anything by her growing up!)
Summer of the Great Grandmother - Madeleine L'Engle
A Ring of Endless Light - Madeleine L'Engle
A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle
Ribbon of Years - Robin Lee Hatcher (this book reminded me of my grandmother)
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
The Robe - Douglas
Ben-Hur - Lew Wallace
The Light & the Glory - Peter Marshall & David ? (non-fiction but very interesting account of the early American settlements)
The Search for Delicious - Natalie Babbit (a wonderful children's book! I recently discovered my sister has my beloved copy of this book! Hmmm, it's
got my name in the cover; I could demand it back. But since it's being enjoyed by kids again, I'll just be glad it wasn't destroyed in a fire like I assumed!)
Flight of the Doves - Walter Macken(another wonderful children's book; incidentally this may have been the catalyst for my love of all things Irish)
The Iliad - Homer (my intro to the classics, complements of my HS English teacher)
Moby Dick - Herman Melville (yes, I had to read this for school but aside from the lengthy descriptions, I actually liked the book!)
Not My Will - by Francena H. Arnold
Light From Heaven - Christmas Carol Kaufman (she wrote several books including Hidden Rainbow and others - very touching stories I read as a teen)
The Mark of the Lion Series - by Francine Rivers (I have always enjoyed any story set in the time of Christ; these are especially well-written from the perspective of a young Jewish girl)
To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson - Courtney Anderson (a powerful biography I read in HS; years later I toured with a Christian drama portraying the life of this missionary to Burma)

Quote O' the Day!

I haven't heard this quote in ages but I always loved this thought by Edward Everett Hale. Sometimes it's easy to feel like what's the use, but then this reminds me that in the grand scheme of things, God only expects me to take the next step of obedience.

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything. But I can do something. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. What I can do, I should do. And what I should do, by the grace of God, I will do. (Edward Everett Hale)

A Stroll Through the Garden

Ever since I can remember, I've dreamed of having one of those beautiful English cottage gardens. I can just imagine heading out in the morning, while the dew is still wet on the leaves, and strolling along the pathways, cup of tea in hand. I'd stop to deadhead a few flowers and pluck a few weeds, then head for my garden swing under the arbor to sit and meditate for a while. Amidst the fragrance of the morning, I'd lift my heart in prayer to God.

In actuality, my gardening consists mostly of a series of must-do's: must buy and plant annuals, must mulch, must tear out dead stuff, must plant bulbs now - you get the idea. Since my flower garden is just a patch on my front yard, it's easily maintained but I don't spend nearly enough time enjoying it. Not much is visible from my front window, and it even escapes my view when I'm sitting on my front porch. Sigh - my only hope is that the neighbors might enjoy the display!

There have been times in my life when I've read the Bible daily, almost proudly checking off the requirements on a little chart each day. Other times, I've taken my time, meandering my way through a book or even just a passage. Last summer I took several months to read through the book of Acts. At a minimum, I read each chapter twice, usually in a pattern of chapter 1&2 one day, 2&3 the next, etc. Sometimes I read the same chapter several days in a row. Right now I'm reading through I Corinthians, using my Kay Arthur's inductive study Bible. With my current work schedule, a daily reading was getting to be a chore, and I felt unable to give God my undivided attention. Instead, I'm enjoying getting into Corinthians for several good sessions each week. On the other days, I've been reading from My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers, or working on a Bible study I do with several friends.

A few years ago, I learned an unusual journaling method. The front 5-6 pages of my notebook are reserved for an index of sorts, with columns for the date, Scripture passage, title and page number. It's an easy way to look back over the weeks and months and at a glance, remember that God has been teaching me. I don't feel obligated to journal daily, which makes the times I do more enjoyable.

When it comes to personal Bible study and devotions, it really is different strokes for different folks. The plan you follow is not so important, as long as you take time to "smell the roses." Are you enjoying your time with God? Is it a stroll through the garden of His presence or a meaningless list of must-do's?

Positive Quote of the Day

POSITIVE QUOTE OF THE DAY-----------------------------I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a freshtry, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewherebehind the morning.-- J.B. Priestly (1894-1984) English Author

When I was in high school, I remember my classmates moaning and groaning about J.B. Priestley, the editor of the English literature text. Secretly I longed for complaining rights. Having just transferred from another school, as a junior I had to take several classes with the freshman. As a result, I sat in one room reciting Spanish verb forms with fourteen year olds, while my fellow juniors explored the world of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Anyways, seeing this quote today brought back some memories of days gone by.

The Good, the Bad and the . . . Plain Ol' Truth!

Got my first official rejection notice today. There, it's out. I wasn't going to say anything but then again, this blog is intended to be a record of my writing journey. Sheesh, I'm thinking right now I might get to California walking faster than I'll be published but I'm okay with the rejection thing. Just last night I prayed and asked God to help me accept it with grace. That was before I got "the envelope!" Weird premonition, huh?

Anyways, I don't really see this as failure. Actually, I feel like I've gone through the entire process now, from idea generation and development, to querying, to actually writing and submitting the article. In my book, I have succeeded.

5000 words per day

That's how many words author Angela Hunt estimates she averages daily. http://alifeinpages.blogspot.com/2005/10/q.html

Wow, that boggles my little pea brain. It shouldn't really. It comes out to about 625 words per hour. That's doable, nevertheless astounding to think of maintaining that for eight straight hours. Then I recall I generally send about 50 emails out per day at work. If each message
contains an average of 30 words, that's 1500 words right there. Add in the special text on all the orders I create and the tally's over 2000 words. I suppose if I added in all the words spoken in the course of answering the phone and taking orders, I'm probably putting out over 3000 work-related words per day. So, yes, I probably have enough words in me to make a living off them! It's just a matter of focus and discipline . . . I know a daily word count is impossible as long as I'm working 10 hour days, but 1000 words on my day off and weekends would be a good goal.

What's your WPD average? Or your goal?